Trade, Middle East high on ministerial agenda

EU foreign ministers will meet on 8-9 December for discussions that, while likely to be overshadowed by the financial crisis, climate-change talks and the looming winter summit of EU leaders, will touch on a number of major issues – the resumption of talks on global trade and its first major discussion since mid-year of the Middle East.

A number of EU countries believe that the financial crisis may have created an eleventh-hour opportunity to re-float the floundering Doha round of talks on global trade and ministers are preparing to discuss the foreign-policy dimensions when they meet. Pascal Lamy, the director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), has indicated that there is about “10%” left to conclude the round. The scale of farm tariff cuts is still is the big question facing the WTO’s EU members.

However, it remains unclear whether Lamy will call WTO ministers together for a meeting in Geneva for 13-15 December. He has said he will do so only “if he thinks the chances are high that the meeting will be a success”.

If he decides not to call the meeting, it may be that the enlargement of the EU will occupy the central place on the agenda. In November, the EU published its annual report on the progress that would-be members of the EU had made in the preceding 12 months. Ministers will review the reports, and enlargement-friendly member states will be keen to maintain an ambitious momentum in the process.

The EU’s neighbours

The western Balkans will also come into focus, for two other reasons. The EU’s rule-of-law mission to Kosovo, Eulex, which started its deployment this week is another topic likely to be raised during the meeting. In addition, ministers will consider a report by Serge Brammertz, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), on Serbia’s co-operation with the UN court. The EU has long viewed Serbia’s willingness to work with the ICTY in the hunt for suspected war criminals as a litmus test of its commitment to EU integration. No major developments are expected to be highlighted on this occasion.

For the first time since France assumed the presidency of the EU in July, the EU’s engagement with the Middle East will be reviewed, with discussion about upgrading the Union’s relationship with Israel to an ‘advanced status’. Such a move would be likely to prompt the Palestinian Authorities to ask for a similar treatment, diplomats surmise. The current framework for relations between the EU and Israel –the European Neighbourhood Policy – expires in April.

Other topics

Other topics on the agenda, include the situation in Pakistan, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The terrorist attacks in Mumbai have added urgency to debate about Pakistan. One result to look for is the announcement of a visit by a troika of EU foreign ministers to Islamabad in February. As for Congo, a military mission has currently been ruled out, but certain member states are likely to renew calls for greater co-ordination of the EU’s efforts to help MONUC, the peacekeeping force in the country.

Lastly, the EU’s foreign-policy chief, Javier Solana, will present his annual overview of European security and defence policy, with the foreign ministers set to adopt a wide declaration that will, in all probability, only modestly update the policy. European Security Strategy, reinforcement of military capabilities and language on international security.